One of the most challenging forces newly single stay at home moms face are financial struggles. Surviving on a single income when you were previously a stay-at-home mom can seem impossible. But there are many different ways you can be sure to protect yourself, so you can thrive after your divorce.

Of course, figuring out how you will be able to start earning a living, so you can continue to support yourself and your children will be of utmost importance. But there are steps you can take to set yourself up for success before your divorce has even been finalized.

When you are ready to fight for what you deserve in your divorce settlement, make sure you have a dedicated Alabama divorce lawyer at Haygood Cleveland Pierce Thompson & Short by your side. Schedule your initial consultation when you call us at (334) 821-3892.

Take a Deep Breath and Make a Plan

Give yourself time to cry and process your emotions. This is a huge shock, and you can’t just bury those feelings. That being said, you do want to wait to make any major decisions until you can do so calmly. The choices you make in a divorce will affect the next stage of your life, so you don’t want to jump into anything too quickly.

Stay in the Marital Home

Stay-at-home moms often think they have to leave the marital home right away since they are unable to pay for it on their own. That isn’t the case. Your work built this home too, even if it wasn’t financial work. Remaining in the home can allow you to save more money for your post-divorce life, and it may give you a good position to negotiate from. Of course, this advice does not apply if there is any abuse or you are in danger at the marital home.

Be Careful with Your Money

There’s no doubt about it, money will be tighter after a divorce. That’s why this is the time to buckle down and be careful about your spending. Before jumping into expensive legal battles and vowing to get everything you can out of your ungrateful spouse, think—what do you really want from your divorce? Is there any benefit to the approach you’re considering, or could you save time, money, and stress by going another route? Avoid signing leases or taking on any major commitments until the divorce is finalized.

Make Sure You Get Alimony and Child Support

As a stay-at-home mom while you were married, when you get divorced, you may be entitled to alimony. This type of spousal support is often paid temporarily or permanently depending on a number of different factors. Here, your spouse may be required to provide you with a certain amount of money each month to cover your necessary living expenses and to ensure that you are able to sustain your standard of living.

Furthermore, your child’s other parent will likely be required to provide you with child support as well. This can go a long way in helping to ensure that you are able to pay your rent and mortgage payments, utility bills, and other necessary costs while you are raising your child or children after divorce.

Work on Increasing Your Credit Score

It is not uncommon for stay-at-home moms to take a considerable hit to their credit when they get divorced. One of the first things that you can do to start rebuilding your life is to start working on improving your credit score.

Get copies of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus so that you know what debts need to be paid and any discrepancies can be reported. From there, you may want to consider taking out a secured credit card that you can find yourself and will work to slowly but surely increase your credit score.

Don’t Forget to Update Your Estate Plans

One of the most important things you need to do after your divorce is to update your estate plans. Make sure you change your beneficiary designations, make changes to your will, and make other necessary updates to your estate plans. It will be important to take your spouse off of these documents so there are not any legal issues in the future.

Contact a Divorce Attorney in Alabama for Help

You may be feeling completely overwhelmed at the thought of trying to make it on your own when all you have ever known is being a stay-at-home mom. But with the right Alabama divorce attorney advocating for you, you can prepare for what’s to come and start your new life off on the right foot.

Schedule your no-risk consultation with Haygood Cleveland Pierce Thompson & Short when you complete our online contact form. Or call our office at (334) 821-3892 to get started today.